browser-automationdeveloper-tools

Electron Desktop Automation

by halilural

Electron Desktop Automation streamlines app testing with screenshots, console monitoring, project detection, and debuggi

Automates Electron desktop applications through Chrome DevTools Protocol integration, enabling screenshot capture, JavaScript execution, console monitoring, and window management with intelligent project detection and debugging configuration.

github stars

59

No app modifications requiredChrome DevTools Protocol integrationConfigurable security levels

best for

  • / Electron app developers testing and debugging
  • / Automating desktop application workflows
  • / QA teams testing Electron-based software
  • / DevOps monitoring desktop application health

capabilities

  • / Take screenshots of Electron applications
  • / Execute JavaScript code in running Electron apps
  • / Monitor console logs and application events
  • / Control UI elements like buttons and forms
  • / Extract DOM elements and application data
  • / Manage Electron application windows

what it does

Automates and debugs Electron desktop applications through Chrome DevTools Protocol without requiring app modifications. Provides AI-powered control over UI interactions, screenshot capture, and real-time monitoring.

about

Electron Desktop Automation is a community-built MCP server published by halilural that provides AI assistants with tools and capabilities via the Model Context Protocol. Electron Desktop Automation streamlines app testing with screenshots, console monitoring, project detection, and debuggi It is categorized under browser automation, developer tools.

how to install

You can install Electron Desktop Automation in your AI client of choice. Use the install panel on this page to get one-click setup for Cursor, Claude Desktop, VS Code, and other MCP-compatible clients. This server runs locally on your machine via the stdio transport.

license

MIT

Electron Desktop Automation is released under the MIT license. This is a permissive open-source license, meaning you can freely use, modify, and distribute the software.

readme

Electron MCP Server

GitHub license npm version MCP

A powerful Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides comprehensive Electron application automation, debugging, and observability capabilities. Supercharge your Electron development workflow with AI-powered automation through Chrome DevTools Protocol integration.

Demo

See the Electron MCP Server in action:

Watch Demo Video

🎬 Watch Full Demo on Vimeo

Watch how easy it is to automate Electron applications with AI-powered MCP commands.

🎯 What Makes This Special

Transform your Electron development experience with AI-powered automation:

  • 🔄 Real-time UI Automation: Click buttons, fill forms, and interact with any Electron app programmatically
  • 📸 Visual Debugging: Take screenshots and capture application state without interrupting development
  • 🔍 Deep Inspection: Extract DOM elements, application data, and performance metrics in real-time
  • ⚡ DevTools Protocol Integration: Universal compatibility with any Electron app - no modifications required
  • 🚀 Development Observability: Monitor logs, system info, and application behavior seamlessly

🔒 Security & Configuration

Configurable security levels to balance safety with functionality:

Security Levels

  • 🔒 STRICT: Maximum security for production environments
  • ⚖️ BALANCED: Default security with safe UI interactions (recommended)
  • 🔓 PERMISSIVE: More functionality for trusted environments
  • 🛠️ DEVELOPMENT: Minimal restrictions for development/testing

Environment Configuration

Configure the security level and other settings through your MCP client configuration:

VS Code MCP Settings:

{
  "mcp": {
    "servers": {
      "electron": {
        "command": "npx",
        "args": ["-y", "electron-mcp-server"],
        "env": {
          "SECURITY_LEVEL": "balanced",
          "SCREENSHOT_ENCRYPTION_KEY":"your-32-byte-hex-string"
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Claude Desktop Configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "electron": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "electron-mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "SECURITY_LEVEL": "balanced",
        "SCREENSHOT_ENCRYPTION_KEY":"your-32-byte-hex-string"
      }
    }
  }
}

Alternative: Local .env file (for development):

# Create .env file in your project directory
SECURITY_LEVEL=balanced
SCREENSHOT_ENCRYPTION_KEY=your-32-byte-hex-string

Security Level Behaviors:

LevelUI InteractionsDOM QueriesProperty AccessAssignmentsFunction CallsRisk Threshold
strict❌ Blocked❌ Blocked✅ Allowed❌ Blocked❌ None allowedLow
balanced✅ Allowed✅ Allowed✅ Allowed❌ Blocked✅ Safe UI functionsMedium
permissive✅ Allowed✅ Allowed✅ Allowed✅ Allowed✅ Extended UI functionsHigh
development✅ Allowed✅ Allowed✅ Allowed✅ Allowed✅ All functionsCritical

Environment Setup:

  1. Copy .env.example to .env
  2. Set SECURITY_LEVEL to your desired level
  3. Configure other security settings as needed
cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env and set SECURITY_LEVEL=balanced

Secure UI Interaction Commands

Instead of raw JavaScript eval, use these secure commands:

// ✅ Secure button clicking
{
  "command": "click_by_text",
  "args": { "text": "Create New Encyclopedia" }
}

// ✅ Secure element selection
{
  "command": "click_by_selector",
  "args": { "selector": "button[title='Create']" }
}

// ✅ Secure keyboard shortcuts
{
  "command": "send_keyboard_shortcut",
  "args": { "text": "Ctrl+N" }
}

// ✅ Secure navigation
{
  "command": "navigate_to_hash",
  "args": { "text": "create" }
}

See SECURITY_CONFIG.md for detailed security documentation.

🎯 Proper MCP Usage Guide

⚠️ Critical: Argument Structure

The most common mistake when using this MCP server is incorrect argument structure for the send_command_to_electron tool.

❌ Wrong (causes "selector is empty" errors):

{
  "command": "click_by_selector",
  "args": "button.submit-btn"  // ❌ Raw string - WRONG!
}

✅ Correct:

{
  "command": "click_by_selector",
  "args": {
    "selector": "button.submit-btn"  // ✅ Object with selector property
  }
}

📋 Command Argument Reference

CommandRequired ArgsExample
click_by_selector{"selector": "css-selector"}{"selector": "button.primary"}
click_by_text{"text": "button text"}{"text": "Submit"}
fill_input{"value": "text", "selector": "..."} or {"value": "text", "placeholder": "..."}{"placeholder": "Enter name", "value": "John"}
send_keyboard_shortcut{"text": "key combination"}{"text": "Ctrl+N"}
eval{"code": "javascript"}{"code": "document.title"}
get_title, get_url, get_body_textNo args needed{} or omit args

🔄 Recommended Workflow

  1. Inspect: Start with get_page_structure or debug_elements
  2. Target: Use specific selectors or text-based targeting
  3. Interact: Use the appropriate command with correct argument structure
  4. Verify: Take screenshots or check page state
// Step 1: Understand the page
{
  "command": "get_page_structure"
}

// Step 2: Click button using text (most reliable)
{
  "command": "click_by_text",
  "args": {
    "text": "Create New Encyclopedia"
  }
}

// Step 3: Fill form field
{
  "command": "fill_input",
  "args": {
    "placeholder": "Enter encyclopedia name",
    "value": "AI and Machine Learning"
  }
}

// Step 4: Submit with selector
{
  "command": "click_by_selector",
  "args": {
    "selector": "button[type='submit']"
  }
}

🐛 Troubleshooting Common Issues

ErrorCauseSolution
"The provided selector is empty"Passing string instead of objectUse {"selector": "..."}
"Element not found"Wrong selectorUse get_page_structure first
"Command blocked"Security restrictionCheck security level settings
"Click prevented - too soon"Rapid consecutive clicksWait before retrying

🛠️ Security Features

Enterprise-grade security built for safe AI-powered automation:

  • 🔒 Sandboxed Execution: All code runs in isolated environments with strict resource limits
  • 🔍 Input Validation: Advanced static analysis detects and blocks dangerous code patterns
  • 📝 Comprehensive Auditing: Encrypted logs track all operations with full traceability
  • 🖼️ Secure Screenshots: Encrypted screenshot data with clear user notifications
  • ⚠️ Risk Assessment: Automatic threat detection with configurable security thresholds
  • 🚫 Zero Trust: Dangerous functions like eval, file system access, and network requests are blocked by default

Safety First: Every command is analyzed, validated, and executed in a secure sandbox before reaching your application.

�🚀 Key Features

🎮 Application Control & Automation

  • Launch & Manage: Start, stop, and monitor Electron applications with full lifecycle control
  • Interactive Automation: Execute JavaScript code directly in running applications via WebSocket
  • UI Testing: Automate button clicks, form interactions, and user workflows
  • Process Management: Track PIDs, monitor resource usage, and handle graceful shutdowns

📊 Advanced Observability

  • Screenshot Capture: Non-intrusive visual snapshots using Playwright and Chrome DevTools Protocol
  • Real-time Logs: Stream application logs (main process, renderer, console) with filtering
  • Window Information: Get detailed window metadata, titles, URLs, and target information
  • System Monitoring: Track memory usage, uptime, and performance metrics

🛠️ Development Productivity

  • Universal Compatibility: Works with any Electron app without requiring code modifications
  • DevTools Integration: Leverage Chrome DevTools Protocol for powerful debugging capabilities
  • Build Automation: Cross-platform building for Windows, macOS, and Linux
  • Environment Management: Clean environment handling and debugging port configuration

📦 Installation

VS Code Integration (Recommended)

[![Install with NPX in VS Code](